OFFICE SPACE Reviewed by Jamie Peck
The hero of "Office Space" is Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), a stressed-out software engineer at a fairly ambiguous corporation called Initech. Aggravated by performing insipid tasks, omnipresent middle-management and the looming threat of downsizing, he seeks help from a hypnotherapist. But when the doctor keels over mid-session, leaving his patient in a calm, Zen-like trance, Peter suddenly finds himself trapped in an agreeable state of perpetual relaxation. Irritation and hatred are replaced by ease and indifference. When the boss ("The Brady Bunch Movie"'s Gary Cole) steps in his way to chat about his recent apathetic streak, Peter just zips around him and keeps on walking. You go, boy.
Needless to say, much of this white-collar comedy is going to elicit smiles, chortles and even cheers from viewers who can say, "Been there, wish I'd done that." "Office Space" paints such an amusingly dead-on portrait of office life that many of the jokes and sight-gags - ranging from en-route rush hour to hungry fax machines to cramping cubicles - are irresistible in a unanticipatedly honest way. (Incidents of mass exaggeration number surprisingly few.) OK, so maybe poking laughs at the workplace isn't the most original idea, what with the comic strip Dilbert and the sitcoms "Working" and "The Drew Carey Show," but the numerous bullseyes here are innovative even if the target is not.
Though Judge's clever writing and appropriately understated direction are key factors in making "Office Space" the success that it is, a terrific cast also contributes undeniable strength to the final product. Livingston, whose sole noteworthy credit was back in 1996's "Swingers," makes a perfectly unfazed leading man, his delightfully deadpan facade ranking as the movie's main attraction. Cole has a lot of fun as Peter's evil overseer, peppering his lines with hilariously absent-minded "yeeeeahs" and "mm-hms," while "Friends"' Jennifer Aniston is adorable as the object of Peter's affection, an oft-scolded waitress at a T.G.I. Friday's-like eatery. Their romance is largely superfluous, but "Office Space" does use the Aniston role to observe the parallel travails of those in the service industry.
Also giving their all are David Herman, Ajay Naidu and Stephen Root as assorted colorful "Office" lackeys, and this last actor gets to steal scenes as the real-life version of Judge's Milton character, the frequently put-down black sheep of Initech. These subordinates, along with Livingston, attempt to strike back at their superiors in wildly different ways (steering towards a pitch-perfect, if slightly disappointing, ending), but it's Peter Gibbons who gets the ball rolling. Watching "Office Space" may cause a stirring in the hearts of many viewers experiencing job-related ruts similar to Peter's. If they follow suit, expect the unemployment rate to skyrocket, but darn - if it won't be empowering!
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